Wound covering apparatus

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure relates to apparatus for covering a burn or other wound in ways that prevent or limit touching the wound. The present disclosure describes Burn Bandages that may include domes or structures that bridge over a wide range of a burn or wound size. In certain instances these structures may expand in one or more directions as they are adjusted to fit to a particular burn or wound size. Such bridging structures may include airways, openings, or voids that promote air/oxygen flow to the wound as the Burn Bandage sits upon surfaces or pads that contact healthy surrounding tissue while they cover a wound site. The apparatus may be any shape including, yet not limited to, a circle, a rectangle, a square, a hexagon, an octagon, an oval, a cone, a cylinder, have a semi-cylindrical shape, or that have any another geometric shape.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation and claims the prioritybenefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/484,867 filed Apr. 11,2017, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The present invention is generally directed to bandages. Morespecifically, the present invention relates to bandages that protect awound by minimizing physical contact of the wound.

Description of the Related Art

Bandages available for purchase today come in a few basic configurationsthat have been available for years. One of these basic configurationsinclude bandages that are predominantly flat that include a portion ofgauze and one or more adhesive portions. For example, the originalBand-Aid™ brand bandages are flat and include two adhesive stripsseparated by a piece of gauze. Other basic bandage configurationsinclude flat pieces of gauze and gauze bandage rolls. Each of thesebasic bandage types have similar limitations, they have no structure tohold them away from a wound, as such after they are applied they can andwill easily touch and potentially damage a wound that they cover. Forexample a burn on a person's arm when wrapped with a gauze bandage mustbe adhered to the person's arm using adhesive tape that contacts theperson's arm or that contacts the gauze bandage itself. Furthermore,gauze wrapped around an appendage may constrict that appendage andconstrict the wound, potentially causing even more damage.

A current issue for burn victims is the lack of oxygenation available tothe burn/wound while at the same time covering the wound but notreopening or aggravating the burn wound through removing and replacingthe bandage(s). Current bandages hurt the wound by touching the burnedarea and also disturbs the scabs that are formed. Current band-aidsdon't stop inadvertent pressure on the wound area, as inadvertentpressure causes the current band-aids to press against the sensitivearea of the wound.

Because of these reasons, current bandages often hurt the wound bytouching the wound and by disturbing scabs that form on a patient's skinas a burn or wound is healing. Furthermore, current bandages don't stopinadvertent pressure on the wound area. Inadvertent pressure oftencauses current types of bandages to press against the sensitive area ofa wound. When the wound is a burn, the touching of the wound area maydamage the patient's skin more than the touching of a scratch or a cut.

Furthermore, a current issue for burn victims is the lack of oxygenationavailable to the burn/wound while at the same time covering the woundwithout reopening or aggravating the burn wound when a bandage is worn,removed, and then replaced. This is especially true in the case ofsecond degree burns, which may include blistering that indicates damagehas been done to the underlying layers of skin. Disturbance of blistersincreases infection and complexity of healing. Undisturbed andoxygenated blisters will rapidly heal.

What are needed are new forms of bandages that minimize how much thebandage touches the wound when covering the wound. This is especiallytrue when the wound being covered is a burn or an injury that spans alarge portion of injured skin. These new forms of bandages are definedas sterile wound dressing articles of manufacture herein referred to asBurn Bandage(s) as described to follow.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENTLY CLAIMED INVENTION

The presently claimed invention relates to a Burn bandage that covers awound. The Burn Bandage consistent with the presently claimed inventionincludes a structure that has a shape that circumscribes an area abovethe skin of a person when it is aligned above a wound such that thestructure bridges over the wound after it is aligned above the wound,wherein the structure of the Burn Bandage does not contact the wound.This Burn Bandage also includes a base portion that contacts skin of theperson when the structure is aligned above the wound.

This invention is a system, Kit, and article of manufacture for BurnBandages for burn wounds in which the protective covering does not comeinto direct contact with the burned area. The covering has holes toallow airflow to the burned area. The apparatus may be secured to thevictim using tapes or straps that come into contact with the surroundingnon-infected area. The article of manufacture has many forms/factors andcan be made adjustable and customized to wounds as needed.

Typically when dressing a burn wound, an ointment is spread over theburned area and gauze is placed over the entirety (wound and ointment).Then a bandage wrap covers up the gauze and fastens it to the burnedarea. When it is time to replace the bandage and gauze, as well asreapply more ointment, the healing process is disrupted by disturbingnewly produced blisters and or scabs and increases the probability ofinfection, complications and scarring. There is also an increase ofinfection to the burn area if the gauze or bandage(s) is (are) notsterile or if it/they are not regularly replaced. Also, the standardbandage wrap cannot and does not protect against inadvertent pressurethat can both cause pain and disrupt the wound and healing process.

This invention allows a person with a burn wound to apply an ointment tothe burned area and determine the size of the Burn Bandage necessarybased upon the size of the burned area. This invention creates acovering that may come into direct contact solely with the surroundingarea of the burn, i.e. with non-burned tissue. The area of the BurnBandage that would cover the burned area would be raised. In example, adome shape or any other raised symmetrical or asymmetrical shape placedabove the injured tissue and have holes or airways that would allowoxygen to come in contact with and naturally flow to the burned tissue.The apparatus may be a dome structure manufactured from a clear ortransparent plastic like material to allow the patient to physically seethe wound through the dome covering. The dome covering may also beconstructed from any and all transparent materials that are used fortheir transparency in optics and in the decorative arts such as but notlimited to: borosilicate glass, germanium dioxide, polycarbonate, anyform of polyethylene, so-gel and any other appropriate transparentmaterial know in the art. The dome covering may also be manufacturedfrom any material that protects the wound from harmful ultraviolet (UV)rays from the sun that may increase further injury to the wound. Suchas, ultraviolet A (UVA) which are long waves that puncture deep into thedermis, or ultraviolet B (UVB) which are short waves that burn thesuperficial layers of the skin. The dome covering may also be printedwith any decorative art, characters, symbols, writings and the like.This apparatus may have a fastener that could wrap around a body part inorder to hold it in place or the edges may have a type of adhesive toattach to the surrounding healthy tissue. This would allow a person tosafely remove and reapply ointment as needed without disrupting thehealing process, increase the speed of the healing process and reducethe possibility of producing a scar.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates several different configurations of Burn Bandagesconsistent with the present disclosure that minimize or that eliminatesthe touching of a wound.

FIG. 2 illustrates several different configurations of Burn Bandagesconsistent with the present disclosure that minimize or that eliminatesthe touching of a wound.

FIG. 3 illustrates two different exemplary Burn Bandages consistent withthe present disclosure, one that attaches to a person's leg and anotherthat attaches to a patient's arm.

FIG. 4 illustrates a top view and a side view of an exemplary BurnBandage consistent with the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 illustrates a top view and a side view of an exemplary BurnBandage with adhesive connectors consistent with the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 illustrates several different exemplary sizes that may be usedwith Burn Bandages with elastic connectors consistent with the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary package that may be used to pack aplurality of Burn Bandages consistent with the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 illustrates several different exemplary Burn Bandages consistentwith the present disclosure where hooks may be used to secure the BurnBandage.

FIG. 9 illustrates several different exemplary straps that may be usedwith Burn Bandages consistent with the present disclosure.

FIG. 10 illustrates different exemplary Burn Bandages that may be in acylindrical or in a cone shape.

FIG. 11 illustrates exemplary Burn Bandages consistent with the presentdisclosure that may be used in a standard configuration or may beexpanded into other larger configurations.

FIG. 12 illustrates exemplary Burn Bandages consistent with the presentdisclosure that may be used in a standard configuration or may beexpanded into other larger configurations using a built in track system.

FIG. 13 illustrates an exemplary Burn Bandage consistent with thepresent disclosure that includes an ointment that may be applied to aburn or wound.

FIG. 14 illustrates exemplary Burn Bandages consistent with the presentdisclosure that may have various connectable pieces in order to coverwide and unusual wound shapes.

FIG. 15 illustrates exemplary Burn Bandages consistent with the presentdisclosure that may include sensor(s) embedded in the hard shell.

FIG. 16 illustrates exemplary Burn Bandages consistent with the presentdisclosure that may include coverings over the airways

FIG. 17 illustrates exemplary Burn Bandages consistent with the presentdisclosure that may include sensor(s) embedded in a strap or band

FIG. 18 illustrates exemplary Burn Bandages consistent with the presentdisclosure that may include a specialized unique ointment passagewaythrough the hard shell for the related unique specialized ointment to beapplied to the wound.

FIG. 19 illustrates an exemplary package that may be used to pack aplurality of Burn Bandages along with the related unique specializedointment to be applied through the specialized unique ointmentpassageway consistent with the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure relates to apparatus for covering a burn or otherwound in ways that prevent or limit touching the wound. The presentdisclosure describes Burn Bandages that may include domes or structuresthat bridge over a wide range of a burn or wound size. The apparatus maybe a dome structure manufactured from a clear or transparent plasticlike material to allow the patient to physically see the wound throughthe dome covering. The dome covering may also be constructed from anyand all transparent materials that are used for their transparency inoptics and in the decorative arts such as but not limited to:borosilicate glass, germanium dioxide, polycarbonate, any form ofpolyethylene, so-gel and any other appropriate transparent material knowin the art. The dome covering may also be manufactured from any materialthat protects the wound from harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sunthat may increase further injury to the wound. Such as, ultraviolet A(UVA) which are long waves that puncture deep into the dermis, orultraviolet B (UVB) which are short waves that burn the superficiallayers of the skin. The dome covering may also be printed with anydecorative art, characters, symbols, writings and the like. In certaininstances these structures may expand in one or more directions as theyare adjusted to fit to a particular burn or wound size. Such bridgingstructures may include airways, openings, or voids that promoteair/oxygen flow to the wound as the Burn Bandage sits upon surfaces orpads that contact healthy surrounding tissue while they cover a woundsite. The apparatus may be any shape including, yet not limited to acircle, a rectangle, a square, a hexagon, an octagon, an oval, a cone, acylinder, have a semi-cylindrical shape, or that have any anothergeometric shape. Burn Bandages consistent with the present disclosuremay come in different sizes in order to cover a wound area. The airwaysof the apparatus may be placed in any order, pattern, or combination.The airways may be positioned such that they provide oxygenation to aburn or wound area. The apparatus may be secured to the body by methodssuch as Velcro straps, paper tape, an adhesive, medical tape, elasticbandage, or by any other means.

FIG. 1 displays examples of the various shapes that the apparatus couldbe. These shapes may also be various sizes in order to cover a widerange of burn wounds on the body. The apparatus may be any shape(including but not limited to: circle 120, rectangle 110, square 130,hexagon, octagon, etc.) or size in order to cover the burned area.

FIG. 1 illustrates several different configurations of Burn Bandagesconsistent with the present disclosure that minimize or that eliminatesthe touching of a wound. FIG. 1 includes a rectangular shaped BurnBandage 110, a round Burn Bandage 120, and a square Burn Bandage 130.

Rectangle shape Burn Bandage 110 shows an apparatus that has a hardouter shell that is slightly raised off of the damaged tissue with ahollow center, airways located on all sides in order to allow oxygen toflow into the hollow center and padding around the edges that would comeinto contact with the healthy tissue. Round Burn Bandage 120 shows anapparatus that is a hard outer shell that is slightly raised off of thedamaged tissue with a hollow center, airways located on all sides inorder to allow oxygen to flow into the hollow center and padding aroundthe edges that would come into contact with the healthy tissue.

Similarly, Square Burn Bandage 130 figure shows an apparatus that is ahard outer shell that is slightly raised off of the damaged tissue witha hollow center, airways located on all sides in order to allow oxygento flow into the hollow center and padding around the edges that wouldcome into contact with the healthy tissue.

Note that each respective Burn Bandage 110, 120, and 130 includes ashell (110S, 120S, & 130S) that may be hard (rigid or semi-rigid), aplurality of airways (110A, 120A, & 130A), and a padding area (110P,120P, & 130P). A person applying a Burn Bandage on a wound could selecta Burn Bandage shape and size that best fits a wound when that wound isbeing bandaged. As such, either the rectangular shape of Burn Bandage110, the round shape of Burn Bandage 120, or the square shape of BurnBandage 130 may be selected when a Burn Bandage is applied to protect awound.

Note that the shells 110S, 120S, and 130S have a structure that includespadded area 110P, 120P, and 130P respectively. Note that these paddedareas may contact the skin of a person, circumscribing a perimeter areaaround a wound. These shell Burn Bandages when applied over a wound maycontain an internal area within a perimeter that does not contact theBurn Bandage because of the Burn Bandages structural integrity. Notethat the shapes of shells 110S, 120S, and 130S have are uplifted arounda perimeter of the Burn Bandage. Such shapes allow the Burn Bandage tobe placed above an internal area, protecting a wound contained underthose structural shapes.

When shells 110S, 120S, and 130S are touched, force may be transmittedfrom these shells to pads 110P, 120P, and 130P, such that a force wouldnot be transmitted to the internal area. Because of this, Burn Bandagesconsistent with the present disclosure protect wounds better thanconventional bandages. The padded areas 110P, 120P, and 130P may includean adhesive (not shown) that cause the shell Burn Bandages 110, 120, and130 to be retained on a person's skin.

Note that Burn Bandages 110, 120, and 130 include airways 110A, 120A,and 130A. Note also that these airways may be open or may be coveredwith a breathable fabric (such as gauze or filter paper). Airways 110A,120A, and 130A allow air to flow through Burn Bandages 110, 120, and130. As such, Burn Bandages 110, 120 and 130 by including airways 110A,120A, and 130A may increase the ability for a wound to heal by allowingmore oxygen to contact the wound. As such, increased oxygen contacting awound should help limit the growth of bacteria, at least in part becausethe growth of bacteria may be mitigated by increasing an amount ofoxygen that contacts a wound. The shell Burn Bandages 110, 120, and 130of FIG. 3, thus may both protect the wound from being touched andprotect the wound by minimizing bacterial growth.

FIG. 2 displays examples of the various shapes that the apparatus couldbe, these shapes may also be various sizes in order to cover a widerange of burn wounds on the body. The apparatus may be any shape(including but not limited to: circle, rectangle, square, hexagon,octagon, etc.) or size in order to cover the burned area. These figuresdisplay another example of how the airways may be placed on theapparatus, which may be placed in any order, pattern, or combination toprovide oxygenation to the burned area.

Rectangle shape bandage 210 shows an apparatus that has a hard outershell that is slightly raised off of the damaged tissue with a hollowcenter, airways located on all sides in order to allow oxygen to flowinto the hollow center and padding around the edges that would come intocontact with the healthy tissue.

Round Burn Bandage 220 shows an apparatus that is a hard outer shellthat is slightly raised off of the damaged tissue with a hollow center,airways located on all sides in order to allow oxygen to flow into thehollow center and padding around the edges that would come into contactwith the healthy tissue.

Similarly, Square Burn Bandage 230 figure shows an apparatus that is ahard outer shell that is slightly raised off of the damaged tissue witha hollow center, airways located on all sides in order to allow oxygento flow into the hollow center and padding around the edges that wouldcome into contact with the healthy tissue.

FIG. 2 illustrates several different configurations of Burn Bandagesconsistent with the present disclosure that minimize or that eliminatesthe touching of a wound. The Burn Bandages 210, 220, and 230 of FIG. 2are similar to the Burn Bandages 110, 120, and 130 of FIG. 1. These BurnBandages have shells that may be hard, rigid, semi-rigid, orsemi-flexible. These Burn Bandages have shells that may be made from UVAor UVB protective materials. Note that rectangular shaped Burn Bandage210 has shell 210S, note that circular shaped Burn Bandage 220 that hasshell 220S, and also note that square shaped Burn Bandage 230 has shell230S.

Each of the Burn Bandages 210, 220, and 230 of FIG. 2 also includeairways 210A, 220A, and 230A. The airways 210A, 220A, and 230A of FIG. 2are located on upper surfaces of Burn Bandages 210, 220, and 230 whereairways 110A, 120A, and 130A are located on a side surface of BurnBandages 110, 120, and 130 of FIG. 1. As such, airways consistent withthe present disclosure may be located on any portion of a Burn Bandageconsistent with the present disclosure.

Like the Burn Bandages FIG. 1, the Burn Bandages of FIG. 2 also includepads 210P, 220P, and 230P that provide shelled Burn Bandages 210, 220,and 230 to provide a shielded area because pads 210P, 220P, and 230Pallow shells 210S, 220S, and 230S to bridge over a protected internalarea. Pads 210P, 220P, and 230P may also include an adhesive that allowsthem to be set and retained over and around a wound.

Airways may also be provided in Burn Bandages consistent with thepresent disclosure by including gaps in pads, such as pads 210P, 220P,and 230P allow air flow along a person's skin.

FIG. 3 displays how the apparatus would be fastened to the body (i.e. aleg or an arm). The attachments may be connected to the apparatusthrough hooks, links, or any other method of securing an attachment forthe purpose of fastening the apparatus to the body.

FIG. 3 illustrates two different exemplary Burn Bandages consistent withthe present disclosure, one that attaches to a person's leg and anotherthat attaches to a patient's arm. The leg Burn Bandage example 310includes a hard shell 310S, padding 310P, an attachment fastener portion310F of an attachment strap/band 310B, and attachment hooks 310H.

Leg Example 310 displays an example of the apparatus fastened to a leg.The apparatus has holes to allow oxygenation. The apparatus contains ahard shell 310S with a hollow interior and padding 310P along the edgesthat will come into contact with the healthy tissue (the padding 310Pmay also include an adhesive to attach to the healthy tissue as opposedto using a fastener or strap 310B like the one displayed). The fastener310F attaches to both sides of the apparatus through hooks 310H attachedto the apparatus and connects to the fastener 310F through holes wherethe hooks 310H can grab a hold of the fastener 310F. The strap or band310B wraps around the uninjured area of the leg in order to prevent theapparatus from moving or sliding from the desired area.

Arm example 320 displays an example of the apparatus fastened to an arm.The apparatus contains a hard shell 320S with a hollow interior andpadding 320P along the edges that will come into contact with thehealthy tissue (the padding 320P may also include an adhesive to attachto the healthy tissue as opposed to using a fastener or strap 320B likethe one displayed). The fastener 320F attaches to both sides of theapparatus through hooks 320H attached to the apparatus and connects tothe strap or band 320B through holes where the hooks 320H can grab ahold of the strap or band 320B. The fastener 320F wraps around theuninjured area of the leg in order to prevent the apparatus from movingor sliding from the desired area.

The arm Burn Bandage example 320 includes similar elements as legexample 310. Arm Burn Bandage 310 includes hard shell 320S, padding320P, and attachment strap/band 320B that may be used to attach arm BurnBandage 320 using fastener portion 320F and attachment hooks 310H.

Note that leg Burn Bandage 310 and arm Burn Bandage 320 may be attachedusing a strap or band where hooks attach a strap to a Burn Bandage viaholes. As such, leg Burn Bandage 310 may be attached to a person's legvia fastener portion 310F using hooks 310H and strap/band 310B.Similarly arm Burn Bandage 320 may be attached to a person's arm viafastener portion 320F using hooks 320H and strap/band 320B.

Note that the leg Burn Bandage 310 of FIG. 3 has a rectangular a shapeand is positioned to cover an injury on a person's calf. Note that armBurn Bandage 320 has six sides. Note also that arm Burn Bandage 320 ispositioned over the side of a person's bicep. The leg Burn Bandage 310and the arm Burn Bandage 320 of FIG. 3 illustrate that Burn Bandages ofdifferent shapes and sizes may be fit on different body parts based onthe location and size of an injury.

While FIG. 3 illustrates hooks (310H & 320H) that attach to a fasteningpoint (310F & 320F) of a strap, other mechanisms useful in connecting aband or a strap to a Burn Bandage may be used: these may include Velcrostraps, paper tape, medical tape, an elastic bandage, or other fasteningmechanism.

FIG. 4 displays the apparatus with adhesive connectors or fasteners thatsafely secure the apparatus to the body by connecting to the healthytissue surrounding the wound. This figure displays one example of howthe apparatus may be secured to the body but may also fastened to thebody by other methods such as Velcro straps, paper tape, medical tape,elastic bandage, or by any other means.

FIG. 4 illustrates a top view and a side view of an exemplary BurnBandage consistent with the present disclosure. The Burn Bandage sideview 410 has a hard shell 410S, airways 410A, padding 410P, and anadhesive connectors 410G. Adhesive connectors 410G may be used to a BurnBandage over a burn or other wound. The Burn Bandage top view of FIG. 4includes hard shell 420S, padding 420P, and adhesive connectors 410G.

Burn Bandage side view 410 shows the side view of the apparatus whichhas a hard outer shell, which is a sterile plastic, that is slightlyraised off of the damaged tissue with a hollow center, airways locatedon all sides in order to allow oxygen to flow into the hollow center andpadding around the edges that would come into contact with the healthytissue. The apparatus also has adhesive connectors that would safelysecure the apparatus in place and would only come into contact with thesurrounding healthy tissue. Burn Bandage top view 420 shows the top viewof the apparatus with the hard shell, which is hollow and slightlyraised, covering up the burned tissue. The padding is on the sides ofthe apparatus which comes into contact with the healthy tissue. Thereare airways located on the sides of the apparatus in order to increaseoxygen to promote quicker recovery. The apparatus also has adhesiveconnectors that would safely secure the apparatus in place and wouldonly come into contact with the surrounding healthy tissue.

Here again once a Burn Bandage large enough is identified, it may beplaced over a wound, where adhesive connectors may be used to attachthat Burn Bandage. When the Burn Bandage is attached it may protect awound area by circumscribing it in multiple dimensions. Adhesiveconnectors 410G and 420G may include a layer that covers glue on a lowerside of adhesive connectors (410G & 420G) of FIG. 4. Like the paper orplastic strips protecting the glue on a strap of a standard Band-Aid™bandage, burn/wound Burn Bandages consistent with the present disclosuremay include straps that have an adhesive portion covered by a removablecover that can be removed when the Burn Bandage is applied over andaround an injury.

FIG. 5 displays the apparatus with elastic band connectors or fastenersthat safely secure the apparatus to the body by connecting to thehealthy tissue surrounding the wound. This figure displays one exampleof how the apparatus may be secured to the body but may also be fastenedto the body by other methods such as Velcro straps, paper tape, medicaltape, elastic bandage, or by any other means.

FIG. 5 illustrates a top view and a side view of an exemplary BurnBandage consistent with the present disclosure. The Burn Bandage sideview 510 has a hard shell 510S, airways 510A, padding 510P, and anelastic connectors 510G. Elastic connectors 510G may be used to a BurnBandage over a burn or other wound. The Burn Bandage top view of FIG. 5includes hard shell 520S, padding 520P, and elastic connectors 510G.

Burn Bandage side view 510 shows the side view of the apparatus whichhas a hard outer shell, which is a sterile plastic, that is slightlyraised off of the damaged tissue with a hollow center, airways locatedon all sides in order to allow oxygen to flow into the hollow center andpadding around the edges that would come into contact with the healthytissue. The apparatus also has elastic connectors that would safelysecure the apparatus in place and would only come into contact with thesurrounding healthy tissue. Burn Bandage top view 520 shows the top viewof the apparatus with the hard shell, which is hollow and slightlyraised, covering up the burned tissue. The padding is on the sides ofthe apparatus which comes into contact with the healthy tissue. Thereare airways located on the sides of the apparatus in order to increaseoxygen to promote quicker recovery. The apparatus also has elasticconnectors that would safely secure the apparatus in place and wouldonly come into contact with the surrounding healthy tissue.

Here again once a Burn Bandage large enough is identified, it may beplaced over a wound, where elastic connectors may be used to attach thatBurn Bandage. When the Burn Bandage is attached it may protect a woundarea by circumscribing it in multiple dimensions. Elastic connectors510G and 520G may include a layer that covers glue on a lower side ofelastic connectors (510G & 520G) of FIG. 5. Like the paper or plasticstrips protecting the glue on a strap of a standard Band-Aid™ bandage,burn/wound Burn Bandages consistent with the present disclosure mayinclude straps that have an elastic portion covered by a removable coverthat can be removed when the Burn Bandage is applied over and around aninjury.

FIG. 6 displays a Kit of various dome sizes that may be used in order tocover a wide range of burn sizes for consumers. The domes range fromsmall to large and may be secured or fastened to the body with eitheradhesive straps, elastic bands, or an adhesive substance on thesurrounding padding. The apparatus may be any shape (including but notlimited to: circle, rectangle, square, hexagon, octagon, etc.) or sizein order to cover the burned area. The airways of the apparatus may beplaced in any order, pattern, or combination to provide oxygenation tothe burned area. The apparatus may be secured to the body by methodssuch as Velcro straps, paper tape, medical tape, elastic bandage, or byany other means.

FIG. 7 displays a Kit of Burn Bandages with domes in order to cover awide range of burn sizes. The apparatus contains a hard outer shell withairways to promote oxygen flow to the wound. The apparatus may be anyshape (including but not limited to: circle, rectangle, square, hexagon,octagon, etc.) or size in order to cover the burned area. The airways ofthe apparatus may be placed in any order, pattern, or combination toprovide oxygenation to the burned area. The apparatus may be secured tothe body by methods such as Velcro straps, paper tape, medical tape,elastic Burn Bandage, or by any other means.

FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary package that may be used to pack aplurality of Burn Bandages consistent with the present disclosure. FIG.7 includes Burn Bandage Kit box 710 that may contain stacks of BurnBandages 750 of different sizes. Note each of the different Burn Bandagesizes in Burn Bandages stacks 750 all may have similar attributes suchas hard shell 720S, 730S, 740S airway 720A, 730A, 740A and tabs 720T,730T, 740T of Burn Bandage 720, 730, 740 in FIG. 7. The tabs 720T, 730T,740T of FIG. 7 may itself be a piece that covers an adhesive portion ofBurn Bandage 720, 730, 740. In certain instances, when tab 720T, 730T,740T is removed from Burn Bandage 720, 730, 740 an adhesive portionlocated around a bottom portion of Burn Bandage 720, 730, 740 may beexposed as a Burn Bandage is placed over a wound. For example, BurnBandage 720, 730, 740 may include a rectangular padded portion disposedalong a rectangular perimeter area that includes an adhesive used tostick Burn Bandage 720, 730, 740 to a person's skin around a wound area.

The stacks of Burn Bandages 750 may be placed in box 710 forming aburn/wound Burn Bandage Kit where tabs 720T, 730T, 740T may helpmaintain each of a plurality of Burn Bandage stacks in groups of BurnBandages of different sizes.

FIG. 8 illustrates a Burn Bandage consistent with the present disclosurewhere hooks may be used to secure the Burn Bandage. The square BurnBandage 810 of FIG. 8 includes hard shell 810S, padding 810P, airways810A, and hooks 810H. Hooks 810H may be permanently attached to BurnBandage 810 and be positioned so they can be attached to a strap thatcircumscribes a portion of a person's arm or leg, like the Burn Bandagesof FIG. 3, for example. Alternatively such Burn Bandages may be used tocover a wound on a person's torso where hooks attach to straps that wraparound portions of the person's torso.

The rectangle Burn Bandage 820 of FIG. 8 includes hard shell 820S,padding 820P, airways 820A, and hooks 820H. Hooks 820H may bepermanently attached to Burn Bandage 820 and be positioned so they canbe attached to a strap that circumscribes a portion of a person's arm orleg, like the Burn Bandages of FIG. 3, for example. Alternatively suchBurn Bandages may be used to cover a wound on a person's torso wherehooks attach to straps that wrap around portions of the person's torso.

The circle Burn Bandage 830 of FIG. 8 includes hard shell 830S, padding830P, airways 830A, and hooks 830H. Hooks 830H may be permanentlyattached to Burn Bandage 830 and be positioned so they can be attachedto a strap that circumscribes a portion of a person's arm or leg, likethe Burn Bandages of FIG. 3, for example. Alternatively, such BurnBandages may be used to cover a wound on a person's torso where hooksattach to straps that wrap around portions of the person's torso.

FIG. 8 displays a Kit of various dome shapes that may be used in orderto cover a wide range of burn shapes for consumers. The domes mayinclude rectangles 820, circles 830, squares 810, or any geometricalshape, etc. and may be secured or fastened to the body with eitheradhesive straps, elastic bands, or an adhesive substance on thesurrounding padding. The apparatus may be any shape (including but notlimited to: circle 830, rectangle 820, square 810, hexagon, octagon,etc.) or size in order to cover the burned area. The airways of theapparatus may be placed in any order, pattern, or combination to provideoxygenation to the burned area. The apparatus may be secured to the bodyby methods such as Velcro straps, paper tape, medical tape, elastic BurnBandage, or by any other means.

FIG. 9 displays the various attachments that could be used to secure theapparatus to the body.

FIG. 9 illustrates several different exemplary straps that may be usedwith Burn Bandages consistent with the present disclosure. FIG. 9includes straps 910, 920, 930, and 940 where each of these strapsincludes holes 960 that may be attached to one or more hooks orfasteners. Note that each of these straps may be of different shapes,sizes and lengths.

Strap 910 is an attachment that is a full wrap and connects to bothsides of the apparatus and wraps completely around the body part.

Strap 920 is an attachment that is a strap that connects to both sidesof the apparatus and stretches across the body part. Strap 930 is anattachment that is a large adhesive wrap that connects to one side ofthe apparatus and is securely fastened to the body using the adhesive

Strap 940 is an attachment that is an adhesive strap that connects toone hook on the apparatus and is securely fastened to the body using theadhesive.

Note that straps 910 and 920 include holes along two different edges,where straps 930 and 940 include holes along a single edge. As such,straps 910 and 920 may wrap around an appendage of a person and beattached to two opposite sides of a burn/wound Burn Bandage of thepresent disclosure.

Straps 930 and 940 may also include an adhesive portion located on thestrap, such that one or more straps could be attached to a Burn Bandageusing hooks and holes 960, and be attached to a person's skin via anadhesive portion of straps 930 and 940, for example.

FIG. 9 also includes table 950 that summarizes different features andshapes that different Burn Bandages may include. Note that Burn Bandagesconsistent with the present disclosure may come in shapes that include,yet are not limited to a rectangular shape, a circular shape, a triangleshape, a square shape, a hexagon shape, and an octagonal shape. Table950 also illustrates that straps of particular Burn Bandages may be ableto full wrap around a body part (a “full wrap” Burn Bandage/strap), maybe adhesive straps, and may be an elastic strap.

Table 950 is a table that displays the various attachments that may beused with the various shapes of the apparatus, the shapes are listedvertical and the possible attachments are listed horizontally.

FIG. 10 displays cones, instead of domes, in order to cover a large areaof the body that may have a burn wound. The airways of the apparatus maybe placed in any order, pattern, or combination to provide oxygenationto the burned area. The apparatus may be secured to the body by methodssuch as Velcro straps, paper tape, medical tape, elastic Burn Bandage,or by any other means.

Burn Bandage 1010 displays a finger cone in order to protect a burnedfinger, this may include airways to promote oxygen flow as well aspadding surrounding the base of the cone to comfortably secure the coneto the finger. Burn Bandage 1020 displays a forearm cone in order toprotect a burned arm, this may include airways to promote oxygen flow aswell as padding surrounding the sides of the cone to comfortably securethe cone to the arm.

Burn Bandage 1030 displays a leg cone in order to protect a burned leg,this may include airways to promote oxygen flow as well as paddingsurrounding the base of the cone to comfortably secure the cone to theleg.

FIG. 10 illustrates different exemplary Burn Bandages that may be in acylindrical or in a cone shape. The Burn Bandages 1010, 1020, and 1030of FIG. 10 may predominantly circumscribe an entire appendage of aperson. Note that Burn Bandage 1010 covers most of a person's finger,note that Burn Bandage 1020 covers most of a person's forearm, and notethat the Burn Bandage 1030 covers most of a person's lower leg. BurnBandages with a cone shape or a cylindrical shape may include an openside portion that allows the Burn Bandage to be applied from the side ofa person's arm or leg without having to be slid over the person's handor foot.

Burn Bandage 1010 includes airways 1010A, padding portions 1010P, andshell 1010S. Here again shell 1010S may be a hard shell, airways 1010Amay allow air to circulate around a burn or wound, and that padding1010P may flexibly hold Burn Bandage 1010 in a position above the burnor wound area on a person's finger.

Similarly, Burn Bandage 1020 includes airways 1020A, padding portions1020P, and shell 1020S. Shell 1020S may be a hard or semi-flexibleshell, airways 1020A may allow air to circulate around a burn or wound,and padding 1020P may flexibly pad Burn Bandage 1020 in a position abovethe burn or wound area on a person's forearm.

Note that Burn Bandage 1030 also includes airways 1030A, paddingportions 1030P, and shell 1030S. Shell 1030S may be a hard orsemi-flexible shell, airways 1030A may allow air to circulate around aburn or wound, and padding 1030P may flexibly pad Burn Bandage 1030 in aposition above the burn or wound area on a person's lower leg.

FIG. 11 displays an expandable apparatus in which the apparatus canslide to create a large or smaller coverage area in order to customizethe apparatus depending on the burn size. The expandable apparatus isfour separate pieces (i.e. squares) that are connected through tracks onthe side of the pieces which lock into place by track guides that are onside of the extendable piece. This allows the apparatus to be expandedand collapsed to the desired size of the user.

Burn Bandage configuration 1110 displays the collapsed apparatus whichcontains four squares occupying the same area in order to cover asmaller area.

Burn Bandage configuration 1120 displays a slightly expanded apparatuswhich contains two smaller squares next to each other inside of therectangle.

Burn Bandage configuration 1130 displays the fully expanded apparatuswhich has the two hidden squares from configuration 1120 expanded out toform a large square to cover a larger area.

FIG. 11 illustrates exemplary Burn Bandages consistent with the presentdisclosure that may be used in a standard configuration or may beexpanded into other larger configurations. Note that Burn Bandageconfiguration 1110 is a square Burn Bandage much like Burn Bandage 130of FIG. 1. When the Burn Bandage of FIG. 11 is used in configuration1110, it is large enough to cover a wound that spans a first area.

FIG. 11 also illustrates Burn Bandage configuration 1120 where the BurnBandage of FIG. 11 is expanded, as indicated by arrow 1120E intoexpanded Burn Bandage configuration 1120. Note that Burn Bandageconfiguration 1120 is large enough to cover a burn/wound area that isabout twice as large as Burn Bandage configuration 1110. As such, theBurn Bandage of FIG. 11 may be expanded like opening a box containingwooden matches, where one piece slide relative to a second piece.

FIG. 11 also illustrates the Burn Bandage of FIG. 11 being expanded in asecond direction as illustrated by Burn Bandage configuration 1130. Notethat the arrows 1130E identify a direction in which the Burn Bandage ofFIG. 11 may be expanded into Burn Bandage configuration 1130. Note thatthe area covered by Burn Bandage configuration 1130 may cover a woundarea that is about four times larger than Burn Bandage configuration1110.

After the Burn Bandage of FIG. 11 has been adjusted to an appropriatesize, it may be placed and secured above a wound in a manner consistedwith the present disclosure. Although not illustrated, the Burn Bandageof FIG. 11 may include a shell, airways, and padding similar to otherBurn Bandages of the present disclosure.

FIG. 12 illustrates exemplary Burn Bandages consistent with the presentdisclosure that may be used in a standard configuration or may beexpanded into other larger configurations using a built in track system.Note that Burn Bandage configuration 1210 is a square Burn Bandage muchlike Burn Bandage 130 of FIG. 1. When the Burn Bandage of FIG. 12 isused in configuration 1210, it is large enough to cover a wound thatspans a first area. Note that Burn Bandage configuration 1210 alsoincludes a track system in a first configuration 1210T that may be usedto expand the Burn Bandage of FIG. 12 from Burn Bandage configuration1210, to Burn Bandage configuration 1220, and to Burn Bandageconfiguration 1230.

Please note that Burn Bandage configurations 1210, 1220 and 1230 haveairways to promote oxygen flow.

FIG. 12 displays an expandable apparatus in which the apparatus canslide to create a large or smaller coverage area in order to customizethe apparatus depending on the burn size. The expandable apparatus isfour separate pieces (i.e. squares) that are connected through tracks onthe side of the pieces which lock into place by track guides that are onside of the extendable piece. This allows the apparatus to be expandedand collapsed to the desired size of the user.

Burn Bandage configurations 1210 and 1220 displays a slightly expandedapparatus which contains two smaller squares next to each other insideof the rectangle.

Burn Bandage configurations 1230 and 1240 displays the fully expandedapparatus which has the two hidden squares from configuration 1210expanded out to form a large square to cover a larger area.

FIG. 12 also illustrates Burn Bandage configuration 1220T where the BurnBandage of FIG. 12 is being expanded, as indicated by arrow in BurnBandage configuration 1220. The track system of FIG. 12 allows the BurnBandage of FIG. 12 to be expanded into configuration 1220 by moving thetrack system of FIG. 12 into configuration 1220T.

Note that Burn Bandage configuration 1220 is large enough to cover aburn/wound area that is about twice as large as Burn Bandageconfiguration 1210.

FIG. 12 also illustrates the Burn Bandage of FIG. 12 being expanded in asecond direction as illustrated by Burn Bandage configuration 1230. Notethat the arrows in Burn Bandage configuration 1230 identify a directionin which the Burn Bandage of FIG. 10 may be expanded into Burn Bandageconfiguration 1230 by moving the track system of FIG. 10 intoconfiguration 1230T. Note that the area covered in Burn Bandageconfiguration 1230 may cover a wound area that is about four timeslarger than Burn Bandage configuration 1210.

FIG. 12 also includes an expanded view of a track system 1240 that maybe used with a Burn Bandage consistent with the present disclosure. Notethat track system 1240 includes slide 1250 and rail 1260 that may beused to expand a Burn Bandage as shown in Burn Bandage configurations1210, 1220, and 1230. Note that track system 1240 allows rail 1260 tomove relative to slide 1250 much like a track system used to open andclose a desk drawer.

Please note that Burn Bandage configurations 1210, 1220, 1230 and 1240have airways to promote oxygen flow.

FIG. 13 displays the apparatus in which there is a medical ointmentincorporated with the dome that would eventually fall into the wound.The ointment may also be applied to the burned area directly.

Burn Bandage side view 1310 is a side view of the apparatus that has ahard outer shell, which is a sterile plastic, that is slightly raisedoff of the damaged tissue with a hollow center, airways located on allsides in order to allow oxygen to flow into the hollow center andpadding around the edges that would come into contact with the healthytissue. Also incorporated into the dome is a medical ointment that willeventually fall into the burn wound.

Burn Bandage top view 1320 shows the top view of the apparatus that hasa hard shell, which is hollow and slightly raised, covering up theburned tissue. The padding is on the sides of the apparatus which comesinto contact with the healthy tissue. There are airways located on thesides of the apparatus in order to increase oxygen to promote quickerrecovery. Also incorporated into the dome is a medical ointment thatwill eventually fall into the burn wound.

FIG. 13 illustrates an exemplary Burn Bandage consistent with thepresent disclosure that includes an ointment that may be applied to aburn or wound. Note that FIG. 13 includes Burn Bandage side view 1310and Burn Bandage top view 1320. Burn Bandage side view 1310 includeshard shell 1310S, airways 1310A, padding 1310P, and ointment 1310J. BurnBandage top view 1320 also includes a hard shell 1320S, airways 1320A,padding 1320P, and ointment 1320J. As such, the Burn Bandage of FIG. 13may be applied over a wound like other Burn Bandages of the presentdisclosure.

As the Burn Bandage of FIG. 13 is worn by a person, ointment may flowdown with gravity onto a wound. Over time, additional ointment may beadded to a space over the wound. In certain instances, the Burn Bandageof FIG. 13 may be gently warmed such that ointment 1310J/1320J liquefiesor begins to liquefy, at a specific temperature facilitating anincreased flow of ointment onto a wound. In such instances, an ointmentmay liquefy or begin to liquefy near or above a person's skin. Forexample, when an ointment begins to liquefy at 90 degrees Fahrenheit(F), the Burn Bandage of FIG. 13 when covering a person's wound may beexposed to air that is warmed to 90 (F) degrees or more before it isblown over a Burn Bandage.

Although, not illustrated in FIG. 13, Burn Bandages consistent with thepresent disclosure may include a plurality of holes/orifices underointment 1310J/1320J that allow the ointment to flow onto a wound overtime. As such, Burn Bandages consistent with the present disclosure maybe used to regulate the amount of ointment that is applied to a woundover time by using different combinations of application temperaturesand orifice size.

FIG. 14 displays how the apparatus would be fastened to the body (i.e. aleg) using multiple connectable Burn Bandages. The attachments may beconnected to the apparatus through hooks, links, or any other method ofsecuring an attachment for the purpose of fastening the apparatus to thebody. The various Burn Bandages may be connected to one another usingVelcro on the sides of the edges.

FIG. 14 illustrates an exemplary Burn Bandages consistent with thepresent disclosure, one that attaches to a person's leg. The leg BurnBandage example 1410 includes a hard shell 1410S, padding 1410P, anattachment fastener portion 1410F of an attachment strap/band 1410B, andattachment hooks 1410H. The leg Burn Bandage also includes a connection1410C between two (or more) Burn Bandages in order to allow a customshape of the Burn Bandage.

Leg Example 1410 displays an example of the apparatus fastened to a leg.The apparatus has holes to allow oxygenation. The apparatus contains ahard shell 1410S with a hollow interior and padding 1410P along theedges that will come into contact with the healthy tissue (the padding1410P may also include an adhesive to attach to the healthy tissue asopposed to using a fastener or strap 1410B like the one displayed). Thepadding 1410P may be connected to the Burn Bandage through a Velcroconnection 1410C. This would allow all of the edges of the Burn Bandageto connect to another Burn Bandage or support the apparatus with thepadding 1410P on a healthy portion of skin. The fastener 1410F attachesto both sides of the apparatus through hooks 1410H attached to theapparatus and connects to the fastener 1410F through holes where thehooks 1410H can grab a hold of the fastener 1410F. The strap or band1410B wraps around the uninjured area of the leg in order to prevent theapparatus from moving or sliding from the desired area.

Note that leg Burn Bandage 1410 may be attached using a strap or bandwhere hooks attach a strap to a Burn Bandage via holes. As such, legBurn Bandage 1410 may be attached to a person's leg via fastener portion1410F using hooks 1410H and strap/band 1410B.

Note that the leg Burn Bandage 1410 of FIG. 14 has a rectangular a shapeand is positioned to cover an injury on a person's calf. The leg BurnBandage 1410 of FIG. 14 illustrate that Burn Bandages of differentshapes and sizes may be fit on different body parts based on thelocation and size of an injury.

While FIG. 14 illustrates hooks 1410H that attach to a fastening point1410F of a strap, other mechanisms useful in connecting a band or astrap to a Burn Bandage may be used: these may include Velcro straps,paper tape, medical tape, an elastic bandage, or other fasteningmechanism.

The leg example 1420 displays the connection of two Burn Bandages usinga Velcro edge 1420V, which when not being used to connect to anotherBurn Bandage may flip down to support the apparatus and connect topadding 1420P to improve comfort. The hard shell 1420S has four (whichmay be more or less depending on the shape of the Burn Bandage) edgesthat have the ability to rotate to become parallel to the hard shell1420S to allow the Velcro edge 1420V to connect to another Burn Bandage.The edges may also rotate to be perpendicular to the hard shell 1420Sand may have attachable padding 1420P through a Velcro connection toimprove comfort of the apparatus.

FIG. 15 displays the apparatus in which there is a sensor incorporatedwith the dome that may monitor the status of the wound. The sensor mayalso be able to monitor the environment of the wound inside the BurnBandage.

Burn Bandage side view 1510 is a side view of the apparatus that has ahard outer shell, which is a sterile plastic, that is slightly raisedoff of the damaged tissue with a hollow center, airways located on allsides in order to allow oxygen to flow into the hollow center andpadding around the edges that would come into contact with the healthytissue. Also incorporated into the dome is a sensor that will track thestatus of the burn wound and/or the environment inside of the BurnBandage.

Burn Bandage top view 1520 shows the top view of the apparatus that hasa hard shell, which is hollow and slightly raised, covering up theburned tissue. The padding is on the sides of the apparatus which comesinto contact with the healthy tissue. There are airways located on thesides of the apparatus in order to increase oxygen to promote quickerrecovery. Also incorporated into the dome is a sensor that will trackthe status of the burn wound and/or the environment inside of the BurnBandage.

FIG. 15 illustrates an exemplary Burn Bandage consistent with thepresent disclosure that includes a sensor that may be track the healingstatus of a burn or wound. Note that FIG. 15 includes Burn Bandage sideview 1510 and Burn Bandage top view 1520. Burn Bandage side view 1510includes hard shell 1510S, airways 1510A, padding 1510P, and sensor1510E. Burn Bandage top view 1520 also includes a hard shell 1520S,airways 1520A, padding 1520P, and sensor 1520E. As such, the BurnBandage of FIG. 15 may be applied over a wound like other Burn Bandagesof the present disclosure.

As the Burn Bandage of FIG. 15 is worn by a person, the sensor may trackthe status of the burn or wound or the environment within the BurnBandage. The sensor 1510E & 1520E may be a moisture sensor to detect ifthe wound is healing properly or an air quality sensor in order todetermine if the air surrounding the wound contains harmful bacteria.

Although, not illustrated in FIG. 15, Burn Bandages consistent with thepresent disclosure may include a plurality of holes/orifices undersensor 1510E/1520E that allow the sensor to track the air coming intocontact with the wound. As such, Burn Bandages consistent with thepresent disclosure may be used to improve the healing process of thewound by keeping the user/patient more informed of the status of theburn or wound.

FIG. 16 displays examples of the various shapes that the apparatus couldbe, these shapes may also be various sizes in order to cover a widerange of burn wounds on the body. The apparatus may be any shape(including but not limited to: circle, rectangle, square, hexagon,octagon, etc.) or size in order to cover the burned area. These figuresdisplay another example of how the airways may be placed on theapparatus, which may be placed in any order, pattern, or combination toprovide oxygenation to the burned area. These figures display anotherexample of the airways containing a protective film or cloth whichprovides oxygenation while preventing harmful bacteria from coming intocontact with the wound.

Rectangle shape bandage 1610 shows an apparatus that has a hard outershell that is slightly raised off of the damaged tissue with a hollowcenter, airways located on all sides in order to allow oxygen to flowinto the hollow center and padding around the edges that would come intocontact with the healthy tissue. The airways are covered with aprotective cloth or film that still provides airflow for oxygenation butprevents bacteria from contacting the wound.

Round Burn Bandage 1620 shows an apparatus that is a hard outer shellthat is slightly raised off of the damaged tissue with a hollow center,airways located on all sides in order to allow oxygen to flow into thehollow center and padding around the edges that would come into contactwith the healthy tissue. The airways are covered with a protective clothor film that still provides airflow for oxygenation but preventsbacteria from contacting the wound.

Similarly, Square Burn Bandage 1630 of FIG. 16 shows an apparatus thatis a hard outer shell that is slightly raised off of the damaged tissuewith a hollow center, airways located on all sides in order to allowoxygen to flow into the hollow center and padding around the edges thatwould come into contact with the healthy tissue. The airways are coveredwith a protective cloth or film that still provides airflow foroxygenation but prevents bacteria from contacting the wound.

FIG. 16 illustrates several different configurations of Burn Bandagesconsistent with the present disclosure that minimize or that eliminatesthe touching of a wound. The Burn Bandages 1610, 1620, and 1630 of FIG.16 are similar to the Burn Bandages 210, 220, and 230 of FIG. 2. TheseBurn Bandages have shells that may be hard, rigid, semi-rigid, orsemi-flexible. These Burn Bandages have shells that may be made from UVAor UVB protective materials. Note that rectangular shaped Burn Bandage1610 has shell 1610S, note that circular shaped Burn Bandage 1620 thathas shell 1620S, and also note that square shaped Burn Bandage 1630 hasshell 1630S.

Each of the Burn Bandages 1610, 1620, and 1630 of FIG. 16 also includeairways 1610A, 1620A, and 1630A. The airways 1610A, 1620A, and 1630A ofFIG. 16 contain a protective cloth or film that still provides airflowfor oxygenation but prevents bacteria from contacting the wound. Assuch, airways consistent with the present disclosure may be located onany portion of a Burn Bandage consistent with the present disclosure.

Like the Burn Bandages FIG. 2, the Burn Bandages of FIG. 16 also includepads 1610P, 1620P, and 1630P that provide shelled Burn Bandages 1610,1620, and 1630 to provide a shielded area because pads 1610P, 1620P, and1630P allow shells 1610S, 1620S, and 1630S to bridge over a protectedinternal area. Pads 1610P, 1620P, and 1630P may also include an adhesivethat allows them to be set and retained over and around a wound.

Airways may also be provided in Burn Bandages consistent with thepresent disclosure by including gaps in pads, such as pads 1610P, 1620P,and 1630P containing a protective cloth or film that still providesairflow for oxygenation but prevents bacteria from contacting the wound.

FIG. 17 displays the various smart attachments that could be used tosecure the apparatus to the body and inform the user of alerts,notifications, updates, etc. There may be sensors located on the BurnBandage (i.e. FIG. 15) that may communicate a status, alert, update, ornotification to a screen located on a smart band or strap. Also theremay be sensors located on the smart band or strap itself and alerts areprovided on the screen.

FIG. 17 illustrates several different exemplary smart straps that may beused with Burn Bandages consistent with the present disclosure. FIG. 17includes straps 1710, 1720, 1730, and 1740 where each of these strapsincludes holes 1760 that may be attached to one or more hooks orfasteners. Note that each of these straps may be of different shapes,sizes and lengths. Note that each of these straps may use a screen ofvarious sizes in order to inform the user.

Strap 1710 is an attachment that is a full wrap and connects to bothsides of the apparatus and wraps completely around the body part. Theattachment also includes a screen 1780 that provides notifications,alerts or updates to the user.

Strap 1720 is an attachment that is a strap that connects to both sidesof the apparatus and stretches across the body part, which may alsoinclude a screen 1770. Strap 1730 is an attachment that is a largeadhesive wrap that connects to one side of the apparatus and is securelyfastened to the body using the adhesive, and may also include a screen1780.

Strap 1740 is an attachment that is an adhesive strap that connects toone hook on the apparatus and is securely fastened to the body using theadhesive, and may also include a screen 1770.

Note that straps 1710 and 1720 include holes along two different edges,where straps 1730 and 1740 include holes along a single edge. As such,straps 1710 and 1720 may wrap around an appendage of a person and beattached to two opposite sides of a burn/wound Burn Bandage of thepresent disclosure.

Straps 1730 and 1740 may also include an adhesive portion located on thestrap, such that one or more straps could be attached to a Burn Bandageusing hooks and holes 1760, and be attached to a person's skin via anadhesive portion of straps 1730 and 1740, for example.

FIG. 17 also includes table 1750 that summarizes different features andshapes that different Burn Bandages may include. Note that Burn Bandagesconsistent with the present disclosure may come in shapes that include,yet are not limited to a rectangular shape, a circular shape, a triangleshape, a square shape, a hexagon shape, and an octagonal shape. Table1750 also illustrates that straps of particular Burn Bandages may beable to full wrap around a body part (a “full wrap” Burn Bandage/strap),may be adhesive straps, and may be an elastic strap.

Table 1750 is a table that displays the various attachments that may beused with the various shapes of the apparatus, the shapes are listedvertical and the possible attachments are listed horizontally.

FIG. 18 displays examples of the various shapes that the apparatus couldbe, these shapes may also be various sizes in order to cover a widerange of burn wounds on the body. The apparatus may be any shape(including but not limited to: circle, rectangle, square, hexagon,octagon, etc.) or size in order to cover the burned area. These figuresdisplay another example of how the airways may be placed on theapparatus, which may be placed in any order, pattern, or combination toprovide oxygenation to the burned area. The apparatus may include aspecialized unique ointment passageway to allow the related specializedunique ointment 1800SO to pass through the hard shell covering and beapplied to the wound or burn.

Rectangle shape bandage 1810 shows an apparatus that has a hard outershell that is slightly raised off of the damaged tissue with a hollowcenter, airways located on all sides in order to allow oxygen to flowinto the hollow center and padding around the edges that would come intocontact with the healthy tissue. Also, the apparatus may include aspecialized unique ointment passageway 1810W to allow the relatedspecialized unique ointment 1800SO to pass through the hard shellcovering and be applied to the wound or burn.

Round Burn Bandage 1820 shows an apparatus that is a hard outer shellthat is slightly raised off of the damaged tissue with a hollow center,airways located on all sides in order to allow oxygen to flow into thehollow center and padding around the edges that would come into contactwith the healthy tissue. Also, the apparatus may include a specializedunique ointment passageway 1820W to allow the related specialized uniqueointment 1800SO to pass through the hard shell covering and be appliedto the wound or burn.

Similarly, Square Burn Bandage 1830 figure shows an apparatus that is ahard outer shell that is slightly raised off of the damaged tissue witha hollow center, airways located on all sides in order to allow oxygento flow into the hollow center and padding around the edges that wouldcome into contact with the healthy tissue. Also, the apparatus mayinclude a specialized unique ointment passageway 1830W to allow therelated specialized unique ointment 1800SO to pass through the hardshell covering and be applied to the wound or burn.

FIG. 18 illustrates several different configurations of Burn Bandagesconsistent with the present disclosure that minimize or that eliminatesthe touching of a wound. The Burn Bandages 1810, 1820, and 1830 of FIG.18 are similar to the Burn Bandages 110, 120, and 130 of FIG. 1. TheseBurn Bandages have shells that may be hard, rigid, semi-rigid, orsemi-flexible. These Burn Bandages have shells that may be made from UVAor UVB protective materials. Note that rectangular shaped Burn Bandage1810 has shell 1810S, note that circular shaped Burn Bandage 1820 thathas shell 1820S, and also note that square shaped Burn Bandage 1830 hasshell 1830S.

Each of the Burn Bandages 1810, 1820, and 1830 of FIG. 18 also includeairways 1810A, 1820A, and 1830A. The airways 1810A, 1820A, and 1830A ofFIG. 18 are located on lower surfaces of Burn Bandages 1810, 1820, and1830 where airways 110A, 120A, and 130A are located on a side surface ofBurn Bandages 110, 120, and 130 of FIG. 1. Also, the apparatus mayinclude a specialized unique ointment passageways 1810W, 1820W, 1830W toallow the related specialized unique ointment 1800SO to pass through thehard shell covering and be applied to the wound or burn. As such,airways consistent with the present disclosure may be located on anyportion of a Burn Bandage consistent with the present disclosure.

Like the Burn Bandages FIG. 1, the Burn Bandages of FIG. 18 also includepads 1810P, 1820P, and 1830P that provide shelled Burn Bandages 1810,1820, and 1830 to provide a shielded area because pads 1810P, 1820P, and1830P allow shells 1810S, 1820S, and 1830S to bridge over a protectedinternal area. Pads 1810P, 1820P, and 1830P may also include an adhesivethat allows them to be set and retained over and around a wound.

Airways may also be provided in Burn Bandages consistent with thepresent disclosure by including gaps in pads, such as pads 1810P, 1820P,and 1830P allow air flow along a person's skin.

FIG. 19 displays a Kit of Burn Bandages with domes in order to cover awide range of burn sizes. The apparatus contains a hard outer shell withairways to promote oxygen flow to the wound. The apparatus may be anyshape (including but not limited to: circle, rectangle, square, hexagon,octagon, etc.) or size in order to cover the burned area. The airways ofthe apparatus may be placed in any order, pattern, or combination toprovide oxygenation to the burned area. The apparatus may be secured tothe body by methods such as Velcro straps, paper tape, medical tape,elastic Burn Bandage, or by any other means. The apparatus may include aspecialized unique ointment passageway to allow the application of arelated specialized unique ointment to the damaged skin without theremoval of the apparatus.

FIG. 19 illustrates an exemplary package that may be used to pack aplurality of Burn Bandages consistent with the present disclosure. FIG.19 includes Burn Bandage Kit box 1910 that may contain stacks of BurnBandages 1950 of different sizes. Note each of the different BurnBandage sizes in Burn Bandages stacks 1950 all may have similarattributes such as hard shell 1920S, 1930S, 1940S airway 1920A, 1930A,1940A, tabs 1920T, 1930T, 1940T and specialized unique ointmentpassageways 1920W, 1930W, 1940W of Burn Bandage 1920, 1930, 1940 in FIG.19. The tabs 1920T, 1930T, 1940T of FIG. 19 may itself be a piece thatcovers an adhesive portion of Burn Bandage 1920, 1930, 1940. In certaininstances, when tab 1920T, 1930T, 1940T is removed from Burn Bandage1920, 1930, 1940 an adhesive portion located around a bottom portion ofBurn Bandage 1920, 1930, 1940 may be exposed as a Burn Bandage is placedover a wound. For example, Burn Bandage 1920, 1930, 1940 may include arectangular padded portion disposed along a rectangular perimeter areathat includes an adhesive used to apply the Burn Bandage 1920, 1930,1940. The Burn Bandage 1920, 1930, 1940, may include specialized uniqueointment passageways 1920W, 1930W, 1940W in which the relatedspecialized unique ointment 1900SO can be passed through the BurnBandage 1920, 1930, 1940 and applied to the burned or damaged skin thatis being covered.

The stacks of Burn Bandages 1950 may be placed in box 1910 forming aburn/wound Burn Bandage Kit where tabs 1920T, 1930T, 1940T may helpmaintain each of a plurality of Burn Bandage stacks in groups of BurnBandages of different sizes.

Please note that the related specialized unique ointment 1800SO, 1900SOmay be included and packaged in Burn Bandage Kit 1910 and/or packagedand sold separately.

The foregoing detailed description of the technology herein has beenpresented for purposes of illustration and description. It is notintended to be exhaustive or to limit the technology to the precise formdisclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light ofthe above teaching. The described embodiments were chosen in order tobest explain the principles of the technology and its practicalapplication to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilizethe technology in various embodiments and with various modifications asare suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that thescope of the technology be defined by the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus that covers a wound on a person, theapparatus comprising: a structure having a shape that circumscribes anarea above a portion of skin having the wound and to bridge over thewound when the structure is aligned above the wound thereby avoiding thestructure from coming into direct physical contact with the wound,wherein the structure includes: a compartment that stores an ointment tobe applied to the wound, whereby the compartment is configured to bepositioned above the wound when the structure is aligned above thewound, the compartment having an ointment passageway allowing theointment to flow to the wound through ointment passageway, wherein theointment is replenished to continue the flow of the ointment to thewound via the ointment passageway, and one or more airways that allowair to flow from an exterior of the structure to the interior of thestructure thereby promoting healing of the wound; and a base portioncoupled to the structure that physically contacts the skin of the personwhen the structure is aligned above the wound.
 2. The apparatus of claim1, wherein the ointment is replenished without removal of the apparatus.3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the ointment is a specializedointment.
 4. The apparatus of clam 1, further comprising an adhesivethat retains the base portion to the skin of the person.
 5. Theapparatus of claim 1, further comprising one or more filters that thatreduce passage of bacteria or particles from unfiltered air at theexterior of the structure to the interior of the structure and the woundvia the one or more airways.
 6. The apparatus of clam 1, wherein thebase portion includes padding.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1, furthercomprising a gap in the padding that allows additional air to flow fromthe exterior of the structure to the interior of the structure.
 8. Theapparatus of clam 1, wherein at least a portion of the circumscribedarea includes a hollow center.
 9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein thestructure includes materials that protect the wound from ultravioletrays.
 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one ormore openings is located on a side surface of the apparatus.
 11. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more airways islocated on a lower surface of the apparatus.
 12. The apparatus of claim1, wherein the structure is rigid.
 13. The apparatus of claim 1, whereinthe structure is flexible.
 14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein thestructure is semi-flexible.
 15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein thestructure is semi-rigid.
 16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the shapeof the structure corresponds to a geometric shape.
 17. The apparatus ofclaim 16, wherein the geometric shape is at least one of a circular,rectangular, square, hexagon, or an octagon shape.